Sims 3 Happy Holidays Gift Exchange ~ Gifting Time!!!

Holidays are wonderful times of the year.
People have fun and spread good cheer!

Do you know what ELSE spreads good cheer?
A Sims 3 homemade gift exchange, of course!

Interested? SIMtastic!!!
Please read on …

This is a SECRET EXCHANGE.
Please do not reveal your Buddy before the gifting period opens.

Certain communication will only be done via private messages so each Buddy will need to check their Inbox on a regular basis.

Nov. 4th: Please read ALL posts as changes have been made since the last gift exchange!

Checklist:Be a Buddy! Use the Buddy Form Letter found in the 4th post.Chat & ask generic questions in the thread.
For specific questions concerning gifts & such, send me a PM.Follow the Rules (3rd post) & note the Important Dates (2nd post).
During gifting time, compliment & click the “Recommend It” button.
Above all, Have FUN!!!

Comments

Sign Ups: Sunday, November 4 to Sunday, November 11 ending at 10 pm (EST).
Late Buddy Letters will not be accepted!

Buddy Names: Each Buddy name will be sent via private message and should arrive by 10 pm (EST) on Monday, November 12.

ALL check-ins need to be done via the thread.
Do not send a private message or post on my Sims 3 My Page wall.

Check-in ONE: Before or by the end of Tuesday, November 13.
This lets me know that you received your Buddy name.
If you haven’t received a name and need it re-sent, please let me know ASAP!

Check-in TWO: Before or by the end of Tuesday, November 20.
This is just a general check-in to let me know that you’re doing okay.

If you need help with anything or foresee any problems, be sure to ask or mention this! General questions should be asked in the thread, but Buddy specific ones must be sent to me via private message.

Check-in THREE: Before or by the end of Tuesday, December 4.
Your gift should be almost ready to go at this time.

VERY Important!!!: If you miss one of the above check-ins without letting me know beforehand, you will receive a private message. If you do not respond by the date listed in the private message, you will be eliminated from this gift exchange and won’t receive a gift. The person who had you will be asked if they would like to gift the Buddy you were assigned. The only exception against elimination is letting me know ahead of time that you will miss a deadline.

GIFTING Time: Wednesday, December 12 through Saturday, December 15.
If you are unable to gift during this time, let me know ASAP!

Remember, this is a Sims 3 only gift exchange ~ NO Sims 4 gifts allowed.

The rules have been categorized in the hopes that they’ll be easier to read.
Be sure to check each spoiler tag!

*NEW* REQUIREMENT to join: Be able to upload to your studio.
If you haven’t uploaded anything within the last 3 months, now is a good time to check and ensure that you can. Create a simple sim and/or build a basic house then upload for testing purposes.

Hello, Buddy!

If you signed up for a previous gift exchange and didn’t give a homemade gift, you will not be paired up in this exchange. Sorry, no exceptions!

B1. Join by posting a letter (see post 4 for the form letter that must be used!).

B2. If you get a new store item or pack, please edit your Buddy letter AND post in the thread that changes were made.

B3. Keep your Buddy Name a secret once you receive your name via private message.

B4. Remember to check-in on the check-in dates! Checking in early is fine.

B5. Regularly check the thread.

B6. Asking a question if fine. Copping an attitude is not.
Rude or mean behavior will not be tolerated. If seen, I will remove you at my discretion.

M1. No custom content is allowed. All gifts will be custard checked, no exceptions.
Please refer to the FAQs post on how to start a clean, no CC game.

M2. You must make at least one homemade gift for your Buddy.
This is not something that is bought from the Sims 3 store.

M3. Gift Guideline:
*If making one gift, BUILD something for your Buddy.
*If making more than one (not required!), one gift must be a build, but the rest can be additional builds and/or sims and/or pets.
*If making more than one gift (again, not required!), please look at rule G5.

M4. Buddy Letters are suggestions and not a checklist of what will be gifted (or received!) during gifting time.

Gifting Time!

G1. You must gift and be gifted.

G2. When a gift is being given, post a message in the thread.
This message must include:
Your Buddy’s name
Gift number (very helpful to Buddy & host!)
Link to the studio upload
Screenshots showing off the gift.

G3. In the gift message, it’s best to put more than 5 screenshots inside a spoiler tag to prevent page jumping as pictures load and help with page loading times.

The way it works looks like this:
[ spoiler ] pictures and accompanying text go here [ /spoiler ]
Remember to remove the spaces before and after each bracket!

G4. To keep things cozy, gifts will be given in this thread. Please do not make a separate gifting thread for your Buddy.

G5. Gifting lots of gifts might be nice, but it can be overwhelming to both Buddy and the person doing the custard-checking. Spread out your gifting fun because a few makes an impact, but a pile causes chaos & confusion for all concerned!!
Example: House ~ Sim ~ Sim w/House (good!)
House ~ Spa ~ Park (not good!)

G6. If you download or add a gift to your favorites list, please ‘Recommend It’.

G7. Everybody loves compliments!
Gifts take time & effort so be sure to let Buddies know what caught your eye.

1. MUST use this form!
It’s a guide to give your Buddy as much information as possible. Include any additional info you think would help them get to know your way of playing the game.

2. The more details, the better!!!

3. Your Sims 3 My Page helps me when Buddy pairings are being made, especially if I don’t know you very well. If you’d rather not put your link in the letter, please send me a PM with this information. Also … if your page is set to private, you need to send me a friend request or make your page public for the duration of the gift exchange.

4. Remember, this is a guide and not a step-by-step wishlist.
You might or might not get something that is mentioned here.

I enjoy this style of build the most: (Examples: Craftsman, Victorian, Modern)

I really don’t want this in my game:

I would or would not like lots in the following sizes: (If you’re a fan of tiny lots, then here is a great place to mention that! If larger lots make your game lag while loading them, mention it!)

I want/don’t want berry sims:

I want/don’t want occult sims: (Be sure to specifically list those that you are fine with or mention which ones you don’t want to see in your game!)

I want/don’t want pets in the household: (Like cats more than dogs? Prefer cute puppies to horses? Don’t want any critters? Mention it!)

Do you want your sims and/or pets skilled up for you? If so, how much? (Example: A couple of points, but not maxed out)

Are there certain skills you want skilled because you really like having them ready when you start with a new sim or household? (Example: A few points in Cooking would be nice so sims don’t burn the grilled cheese and can make more than a mean bowl of cereal!)

Are there particular skill items that you really like having in a build? (Example: I love having sims that can cook, garden, paint and write so having those skilling objects would be awe-sim!)

Other: (Describe here anything that you’d really like that might or might not have been previously mentioned!)

For example, a good thing to mention here is if you would like a holiday build. Mention the holiday, colors and/or traditions associated with it along with a brief explanation if it isn’t a well-known holiday.

This text is to certify that I have read ALL the posts and will follow the rules for participation as well as pay attention to important dates.~ end of form ~

If you’re having trouble figuring out what to say in your letter, peek at the previous gift exchange for ideas.

What is a homemade gift exchange?
Each participant (Buddy) writes a letter mentioning things they would like or not like to have in their game ~ each Buddy then gets paired with another Buddy and secretly makes a gift or gifts for him/her (this can be a build, pet or sim) ~ during gifting time, the Buddies reveal themselves and share their gift for their special someone.

What is a homemade gift?
Something that is created while in-game and not purchased from the Sims 3 store is a homemade gift. A residential or community lot counts. A sim or pet needs more than simply being created in CAS, they should be taken in-game and given a bit of personality. Giving them a few skill points and/or place things in their personal inventory are just a couple of suggestions you might want to consider.

How do I start a clean, no CC game?
1 Rename your “The Sims 3” folder to something else. I often use “The Sims 3 old”.
2 Start the game. Since it can’t find the folder, it will proceed to make a brand new one and that will be have the factory default settings. It doesn’t contain CC, mods or Sims 3 store content.
3 Exit the game. Your folder will have the new folder labeled “The Sims 3”.
4 Add whatever Sims 3 store content you’d like to use in the gift for your Buddy.
5 Unless you’re familiar with mods and whether they create custom content, it might be best to not use them.

MiaSkywalker has suggested another method that removes most of the CC from a game (CC can stick to a .sim file and will be transferrable through the Exchange).

Her method:
1 Remove or rename the mods folder.
2 Rename the extension of all .dbc files in the DCCache folder to something else, like XXX.dbc.backup (Note: .ebc is store content and .dbc is CC).

How do I post an image?
Above the “Leave a Comment” box is a toolbar with formatting options. The one that looks like a picture is used to post an image. Move your mouse cursor over it and the message shows “Image”. Click on it and paste or type your image link location in the box. Image should be seen when “Preview” button is pressed.

An alternate method also works (thanks go to @ciane for reminding me about this!). You manually type [ i m g ] paste-your-link-here [ / i m g ] without the spaces inside the brackets.

How do I post a link?
Above the “Leave a Comment” box is a toolbar with formatting options. The one that looks like two interlocking chains in a link is used to post a link. Move your mouse cursor over it and the message shows “Url”. Click on it and paste or type your url location in the box (TIP: remember to remove the text that automatically appears before entering your information!). Press the “ok” button. Link should be seen when “Preview” button is pressed.

If you want the link title to be other than the link address, type in your changes to the wording that is located before [*/url] <= Note: There isn’t an asterisk in the line of code, just in this example to keep the example from showing up oddly.

If typing this manually, it would look similar to this: [ u r l = paste-your-link-here] type-whatever-you’d like-the-link-to-be-called[ / u r l ] without the spaces inside the brackets.

Is CAP custom content?
Looking over previous gift exchanges, this little nugget was discovered. TnT_Terry wrote, “CAP is NOT considered CC at all (it's an EA/Sims 3 program), but will definitely show separately in custard. Most importantly, when using patterns on any lot/sim/object it is always best to link to every pattern used because they don't always transfer with upload.”

However, please note that there are Buddies who don’t want anything that shows up separately in custard so it is probably best not to include them.

Heehee. I like that we're not wasting any time. I'm planning to participate again and will get to work on my letter.

Since I'm not a fashionably late kind of gal & always arrive early to appointments, I figured that would be okay here too. Ha ha ... who am I kidding? I didn't want to wait until morning to have this go 'live'!!!

Note: using the image icon quit working for me a long time ago. I have to manually type [ i m g ] without the spaces and paste my image link and close it by typing that again with the backslash added after the first bracket before the text: [ / i m g ] and I usually do the same the same for urls: [ u r l ] ... [ / u r l ]

To use a word or pic make that clickable for a link, I always used the equal sign before the link data.

Yay, @suzses, I am super happy you'll be joining in again! I love your builds and the way you decorate!

We all know how difficult you find waiting @ADWilson! I love that you opened up the gift exchange early! Like @suzses, I'll be wading through that form letter and trying to come up with something creative and interesting.

I own the following Store Content: All but three dozen individual sims CAS clothing and some bonus items available by buying sim points or some branded content that was available for short periods. I have some, just not all.

I own the following EA-made Worlds: all

Some of my favorite colors are: I tend to love sharp contrast color schemes like black and white and red or fall color schemes like red, orange, yellow, and green. However, most often I like natural woods with crèmes and other soft colors. I think mostly I like to mix the cooler colors: blue green, blue, blue violet together in interesting ways.

I really don’t like this color: It’s sad when there is one color liked less, but my least favorite is probably when the yellow looks green. Don’t get me wrong, yellow green can be very pretty. It’s when you meant to make it yellow, and it looks green instead; then there is a problem.

I love to use items from this set: I absolutely love the Bauhaus set! I am a sucker for great windows!

I prefer to play in this EA-made World: I think there are so many pretty worlds. I love water and mountains and woods. I just don’t like too many trees or mountains as they block views and require more rendering and turning the camera to get great shots. So, I love playing Sunlit Tides the most, I think; though, just as often, I’m playing in Sunset Valley.

I enjoy playing in this custom world (please include link): I don’t usually play any custom worlds other than the cleared or slightly cleared EA worlds of Sunset and Riverview found on modthesims by flabaliki: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=344655

I enjoy this style of build the most: Modern. I love interesting angles, uneven roof lines, juts in and out, and contrasting textures.

I really don’t want this in my game: I really would prefer no vampires. Too many scary movies and bad dreams!

I would or would not like lots in the following sizes: I love tiny lots and starters! Larger lots make the game, and me, work harder! Also, I like little porches, but I really like to avoid lots of stairs. I go out of my way to CFE lots with City Hall that make Sims go up, up, up for no reason!

I want/don’t want berry sims: Berries are okay, but I really play the guy and gal next door.

I want/don’t want occult sims: Other than the aforementioned vamps, and probably mummies too as I’d go crazy waiting for them to get anywhere; I’m open to any occult.

I want/don’t want pets in the household: I don’t mind a pet, but I’m a micromanager. I have to tell everyone what to do and check on them to make sure they haven’t deviated, so one is about all I can sanely handle.

Do you want your sims and/or pets skilled up for you? A couple of points would be fine. I like you to like the Sims you make for me enough to want them play them yourself.

Are there certain skills you want skilled because you really like having them ready when you start with a new sim or household? I’m not picky. I usually have them get an athletic point so they can jog everywhere and I’ll send them to take a course in charisma so that their conversations will count toward increasing charisma. To be honest, most of my Sims eat fruit and veggies straight from someone’s garden (though not always their own!), so cooking isn’t a requirement.

Are there particular skill items that you really like having in a build? I love the Japanese grill and pizza oven for cooking. Then, they can always watch t.v. to improve after they get one skill point. My favorite equipment for working out is the pull up bar. It always looks like a great place to hang up some jackets! There are always places to go, so my Sims really do not need any particular skill building item right away. They can earn them the old-fashioned way by getting a job or going foraging.

Other: I think that’s everything, but I do love a story. So, if you would like to make-up something, feel free to be as creative as you like!

This text is to certify that I have read ALL the posts and will follow the rules for participation as well as pay attention to important dates.
~ end of form ~

Note: using the image icon quit working for me a long time ago. I have to manually type [ i m g ] without the spaces and paste my image link and close it by typing that again with the backslash added after the first bracket before the text: [ / i m g ] and I usually do the same the same for urls: [ u r l ] ... [ / u r l ]

To use a word or pic make that clickable for a link, I always used the equal sign before the link data.

It's too bad the icons don't work for you any longer @ciane. Thank YOU for reminding me about the second method which is something I periodically use. Will add these to the Frequently Asked Questions section so others remember, too.

We all know how difficult you find waiting @ADWilson! I love that you opened up the gift exchange early! Like @suzses, I'll be wading through that form letter and trying to come up with something creative and interesting.

You know me so well! LOL
I would say I look forward to seeing what you write but ... I know it's already done. Off to take a read.

((cries)) I really want to join this - *sniffles* - but, I know that if I do, I will have to pull out right before the gifting. **really cries** I won't even get to see any of the gifts being presented. **starts to bawl now**

It su.cc.ks that I am moving during all this. But.... hopefully I'll be able to join if there will be a spring one.

((cries)) I really want to join this - *sniffles* - but, I know that if I do, I will have to pull out right before the gifting. **really cries** I won't even get to see any of the gifts being presented. **starts to bawl now**

It su.cc.ks that I am moving during all this. But.... hopefully I'll be able to join if there will be a spring one.

@MsPrissy88
Sorry the timing won't work, but moving and all of the assorted tasks that go into making it happen will keep you very busy and physically tired ... if not mentally as you pare down on belongings. There will be another gift exchange as long as there is interest in having them.

Oh, awesome! Both @suzses and @ciane will be building for this! I love the builds that the two of you make; you are both very talented builders/decorators!

Even though I'm not participating (I'm finding a lot of things very exhausting lately, and I doubt I could handle it), I'll definitely be around to download and rec!

@MsPrissy88 : Even though you will be moving during the gifting time, you'll be able to go back and look at the pretties later. We will miss you, but I know that moving is EXHAUSTING and trying to do anything else during that time is probably impossible. I hope the move is a good one for you!

@MsPrissy88 : Even though you will be moving during the gifting time, you'll be able to go back and look at the pretties later. We will miss you, but I know that moving is EXHAUSTING and trying to do anything else during that time is probably impossible. I hope the move is a good one for you!

I own the following Store Content: All, except a few random promotional items (like the t-mobile stuff) Technically it's not all *installed* yet, but I'm working on that after we rebuilt computers a couple of months ago

I own the following EA-made Worlds: All

Some of my favorite colors are: Purple is my favorite (all shades) but I really enjoy blues and greens as well. And natural tones for things like rock/stone/wood.

I really don’t like this color: Not a big fan of pink or orange, with the rare exception where it really works well with the build/outfit.

I love to use items from this set: Honestly, this changes depending on where I'm playing! But consistent faves include: all the bohemian stuff, the nautical sets, the jazz age/roaring heights/New Orleans stuff, gothic glamour, and the Edwardian things.

I prefer to play in this EA-made World: I move around a lot, but my favorites are probably Dragon Valley, Roaring Heights, Lucky Palms, Aurora Skies, and Midnight Hollow. Don't spend a lot of time in Lunar Lakes or Sunlit Tides, and I tend to use store worlds more than expansion worlds.

I enjoy this style of build the most: I prefer builds that suit the world they're built for (no thatched roof in Lucky Palms, for example!) but general styles I love most: Victorian, Craftsman, Mediterranean, Old Key West, and French Country. Also, I'm originally a Louisiana girl, so I love things that make me think of home! Cottages and cabins are great too, or a starter shack on a legacy lot to save time when I randomly want to start a fresh legacy family.

I really don’t want this in my game: I tend to avoid pets, since they always seem to get themselves all messed up with routing and I get tired of having to find and fix them. Also, I try not to get the family size totally maxed out, since that starts getting pretty overwhelming!

I would or would not like lots in the following sizes: All sizes are ok, but for anything other than the legacy lots I'm playing on (or the occasional community lot as needed) I tend to stick with lot sizes in the middle (20x20-40x40) But if you really want to go huge or go tiny, I can work with that!

I want/don’t want berry sims: This one is complicated. I tend to like my human sims to look human, and the more human supernaturals (witches, werewolves, vampires) to also be human colors. But for the other supernaturals? Go for it! Colorful fairies, merpeople, genies, aliens, etc, those are great fun!

I want/don’t want occult sims: Love my occults! Just not the bots. Cause you can't have a legacy family of bots.

I want/don’t want pets in the household: Ideally, no pets. But critters and fishies are ok if you feel the need for them!

Do you want your sims and/or pets skilled up for you? If so, how much? It depends! If it's a single sim I'm starting a legacy with, less is more. But for families and such, sure, if you want to level skills up, go for it!

Are there certain skills you want skilled because you really like having them ready when you start with a new sim or household? Doesn't really matter to me, if you're leveling skills...they're all useful in their own ways!

Are there particular skill items that you really like having in a build? I tend to play more with the gardening/cooking/fine arts skills, so things that help those are always nice!

Other: I mostly *play* legacy style (one of these years I'll actually finish a legacy, darn it!) so cute singles for my legacy founders/heirs to romance are always nice. Or kids for them to play with! Or families to populate the neighborhood and make it more interesting! I'm always looking for good community lots (hate having to build those from scratch every time I want to change up a neighborhood!) Lots that bring in skill items from the store venues are great too! I rarely use the actual venue lots, since they take up so much space and I have to add so much to them so they're more functional. I can send a list of specific lots I need most if you wanted to go that route! And I can always use more ideas for clothing recolors, since I sometimes get stuck in a rut using the same few patterns/colors. Also, I love having expansion stuff I can place into my my home world, so I don't have to go all the way to France for grapes, for example. But I'm sure I'll love whatever you make, so let your muse run with whatever comes to you!

That recipe is a family favorite here, too, but that's all the time and not just over the holidays! We do make some yummy Christmas cookies that we get to decorate around this time of year, though! (Also, red hots? They taste amazing after they've been baked into a cookie. Melted chewy cinnamon yumminess!)

@Bookworm742
I used to have trouble making rolled out cookies due to uneven thickness. Solved that issue LAST year! Had hubby cut a thin piece of wood into four even lengths and I roll dough to a single layer or double layer (place lengths on each side of dough, far enough for rolling pin to roll across), depending on what I'm making. Ta-da! No more uneven cookies.

Guess I should consider frosting cookies now. Hmm ...
I like cinnamon, but am not a fan of red hots so never thought to bake them in a cookie. Another thing to ponder ...
Thanks, Bookie